Dead Flowers
by Rassilon001
Summary: During their escape to the Takagi Manor, two survivors from Fujimi High School spend the night at a shrine. This time, however, they spend the night at the Furuya Family Shrine, and get to meet a most unusual kind of zombie.
1. Dusk

**Disclaimer:  
** I do not own Highschool of the Dead or Sankarea, in either of its glorious manga or anime forms. It belongs to Madhouse and Funimation, who are probably a lot richer (and undoubtedly a lot smarter) than I shall ever be.

 **Summary:  
** During their escape to the Takagi Manor, Takashi and Saeko spend the night at a shrine. This time, however, they spend the night at the Furuya Family Shrine, and get to meet a most unusual kind of zombie. Rated PG-13 for some horror violence and mild sexuality.

* * *

Saeko froze.

Her entire body couldn't move, she couldn't blink, she could scarcely breathe. The tiny children, dead, gnashing teeth seconds away from tearing into her, and she couldn't move. She was going to die...

Suddenly Takashi was there, shoving her aside and intercepting the first child, jamming the muzzle of his shotgun into its wide open mouth and pulling the trigger. The sound echoed across the landscape as the child's head exploded in a gooey mess of brain matter and shattered bone fragments. Saeko's hand flew to her mouth in horror, positive she was about to be sick. Her whole body shuddered in disgust as Takashi turned to her, concern laden in his every movement. He took her hand in his.

"Come on!"

With those two simple words, Saeko felt her body go slack, letting herself be lead along by Takashi as they fled deeper into the district, weaving in and out amongst broken streets and back alleyways, trying to find safety and sanctuary. More of Them appeared, but by now they were so sparsely populated she and Takashi could simply manuver around them if they were quick enough. Even so, they couldn't keep running forever. And they were still too far away from the Takagi manor. They needed to find somewhere to hole up for the night.

Suddenly, salvation seemed to materialize out of the darkness.

"There!" he said, pointing. A small shrine just down the street, with a heavy gate. Takashi bolted for it, all but dragging Saeko behind him by the wrist. She stumbled awkwardly but gratefully allowed herself to be led as they made their way to the double doors. It was an older shrine that pre-dated many of its more modern counterparts, but that virtue was serving it well in this crisis, its doors were bolted from the inside. If they could just get on the inside, they might be safe for a while. At least the night, Takashi hoped.

There was a thick scent in the air, not quite like burning incense, but something that tickled the back of Takashi's nose and his brain. Stubbornly, he ignored it and tried the gate. Locked. Biting back a curse, he gave it a good shake, trying to loosen it. He really didn't want to risk blowing it down with a shotgun shot, but low moans filled the air, and he could already see dark shapes staggering down the street after them. The rattling wood of the doorframe didn't help.

He lifted his fist, about to bang again, when he heard movement on the other side. An eye peeked out from between a crack in the gates, and Takashi recoiled. The living could easily be as dangerous as the dead, after all, if not more so.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!"

"We just need to shelter for the night," Takashi shot back, as loudly as he dared. "We're not bit or anything. Please."

"Can't chance it," the voice came again. "Find somewhere else!"

"Open up or I swear I'll blow a hole in this gate!" threatened Takashi, cocking his shotgun hard, hoping the owner of the voice could hear it. The dead certainly could, and a few more ghouls were staggering towards them, drawn by the noise.

He glanced back at Saeko again, who looked even more pale than usual in the moonlight. "Please," he breathed out, desperate.

There was a brief pause, then the voice came again. It sounded like a young man's, possibly a boy's. "Were either of you bit?"

Takashi shook his head, even as he whispered loudly back, "No, we haven't, now please, hurry. Open the gate."

"It's barricaded for a reason," said the boy tersely. "But come around back, there's a tree right up against the fence. Use that to climb over. I'll help you."

The swiftness of his directions left little doubt in their minds he was telling the truth, and the Fujimi High survivors wasted no time in following the boys instructions. Quickly they skirted around the edge of the shrine and towards the back, passing amidst a field of flowers on the way and through some gnarled, leafless trees. The hillside was very steep, and thankfully clear of undead. Takashi suspected the landscape would make it difficult for such uncoordinated attackers to arrive en masse, just like they had trouble near the riverside earlier in the day. Even so, he kept his shotgun close and primed in case they ran into anything ugly.

The tree the boy mentioned was perfectly positioned beside the shrine's fence, and a branch set into place for them to reach. Takashi stopped at the base of it. "Here, you go first," he said to Saeko, looking around to keep watch. "Get over the fence."

"Not likely," she replied, surprising him. He looked at her in confusion, and she explained with a pointed finger down at her legs. "Skirt," she said simply. Takashi went red at the implications.

"Oh, right, uhm... I'll go first then, if you don't mind," he stammered out.

She smiled beautifully at him. "Thank you, Takashi."

Takashi wasted no time in planting a foot against the tree, grabbing the branch for leverage, and hauling himself up against the fence. On the other side the courtyard was mostly clear, but he instantly saw the boy he must've been talking to. Well, teen was definitely a better description, he didn't look more than a year or two younger than Takashi, though he was reasonably on the short side. He had distinctly cat-like features, tuffs of hair like ears and eyes that would've looked mischievous if he wasn't so dead serious looking. He was holding a gardening rake like a spear, but didn't seem keen on using it. His entire body was trembling.

He wore a long-sleeved red shirt under a black tee, and some regular pants and sandals more appropriate for the warm climate. Ironically, his shirt had 'Living Dead' written on it in English. He could not have chosen more perfect garments to wear for the end of the world.

A barrel had been positioned against the wall on this side, and Takashi stepped lightly onto it, moving with as much care and quiet as he could, as quickly as he could. He kept his eyes on the other boy, and he returned the favor warily.

"Sure you're not bit?" he said, eyeing Takashi carefully as he dropped to the ground in the yard.

"Fairly sure I'd remember," said Takashi sarcastically, but held out his arms and showed his limbs just to be safe. He didn't want to end up like Alice's dad had, after all. He kept his shotgun aimed upwards, and hand free of the trigger. If the other boy attacked he'd probably not be able to get a shot off in time, but he'd probably be able to deflect an attack.

"How many of there are you?" the boy asked. "I couldn't see too well."

"Just two," Takashi replied, even as Saeko's head popped up over the fence and she daintily climbed down. Takashi did his best to help her down, which was complicated when he suddenly averted his gaze, reminded once more that she was indeed only wearing a short black skirt.

Satisfied they would have no more customers, the boy lay his rake against the fence, shifting a pouch resting at his side as he climbed up onto the barrel. "Okay, keep quiet," he instructed. His back to Takashi and Saeko, the boy produced some blue powder from a pouch at his side and tossed it over the wall. There came that scent again, stronger than before, assailed Takashi's nostrils.

"What was that?"

"Shhh!" the boy cautioned frantically. Then, much more quietly, he whispered, "Crushed hydrangea powder, mixed with black pepper. Confuses their sense of smell, tends to drive off the zombies."

Takashi winced as if physically struck. "Please don't say that word," he asked.

The boy blinked. "What word?"

"T-that word."

Another blink of this enormous, cat-like eyes. He caught Takashi's meaning, but evidently didn't understand it. "Why not?" he asked, climbing down off the barrel.

"Because it's-!" exclaimed Takashi, his voice raising dangerously high before he caught himself. "... sorry, sorry, look I'm sorry, I'm just... it's been a bad day."

The other boy nodded at this, seemingly understanding instantly. A quick peek over the fence confirmed they were safe, for the moment. "They should be gone for now, but let's not chance it. Let's talk inside."

* * *

The inside of the home was small, definitely on the side of cozy, and not designed for a large family. All space was at a premium, spread across the two floors. Takashi was grateful for the roof, however, and a chance to take off his shoes and let his aching feet breathe a little. Judging from the way Saeko winced as she rubbed her ankle, she was feeling much the same way.

The young boy led Takashi and Saeko down the short hallway to another room.

"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Chihiro. Chihiro Furuya," he said as he escorted them into the kitchen. Inside was a much older, nearly bald man that Takashi took to be Chihiro's father, and probably the shrine's priest, the latter of which was strongly suggested by his robes. He had a haggard look about him, as if not having slept well in some time. Sitting beside him at the table was one of the palest girl's Takashi had ever seen, with hair a pale shade of blue and skin like porcelain. She wore a rumpled school uniform not too dissimilar from Saeko's, though hers was predominantly black. Neither said a word as the two Fujimi survivors entered, though they watched them closely.

"This is Mero, my sister, and our father Doon. It's nice to meet you," he said formally.

Saeko immediately bowed, and Takashi followed suit, not wishing to be rude. The small family returned the gesture.

"We are most thankful you have accepted us into your home," intoned the Busujima Swordswoman. "I am Saeko Busujima, Third Year at Fujimi High Academy. This is Takashi Komuro, Second Year from the same."

"Uhm, thank you very much for taking us in," Takashi added, feeling he ought to say something as well.

The bald priest nodded. "Our home is honored by your visit. We... don't have much, admittedly..."

Takashi shook his head. "We just need to spend the night, let things cool down outside a bit," he explained. "By morning we'll be out of your hair and on our way, I promise."

"May we offer you dinner?" asked the little girl, Mero.

He started to decline, not wishing to further impose upon their hospitality. "Thank you, no, we're fi-" when suddenly a soft rumbling came from his side, and he looked over in surprise. Saeko blushed as she placed a hand over her stomach, acutely embarrassed.

"Well... maybe a little, if it's not too much trouble?"

Evidently it wasn't, for Mero dished out some bowls with white rice. Not even halfway full, it seemed she was rationing what they had, and Takashi did not blame her. Still, it was enough to satisfy them both, who hadn't had anything to eat since leaving Shizuka's friend's place the other evening. Had it really been almost a full day already? Time flew when you were running and fighting for your life. The adrenaline was wearing off, however, as they settled into the relative safety of their temporary shelter.

The other members of the Furuya family also doled out some rice and began eating, adding in some pickles and other non-perishable foods they must have kept in the pantry.

"So... you're a long way from Fujimi High," Chihiro remarked quietly, watching them. "Where on earth were you headed that you wound up here?"

"We're trying to make our way to the Takagi Manor," Takashi replied. "We were in a larger group but... we got separated."

"Did they make it out?"

"It looked like they did. Last we saw they were being picked up by some fire fighters. Water cannons are evidently very effective against the... against Them."

"That's an interesting idea," Chihiro mused, rubbing his chin in thought. "I don't think our garden hose has quite the same amount of force to it though."

Chuckles all around the table were amused by the idea of that, at least. "Well, maybe you can come with us," Takashi offered. "I don't know the situation up at the manor but I know the Takagis personally. And it's a lot of ground behind a very high iron fence..."

The father, Doon, held up his hand to gently cut Takashi off, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived. "I do not think that would be... practical," he said, glancing meaningfully at his children. Chihiro's cat-like eyes shifted sideways.

There was a soft footfall behind him.

A week ago, Takashi might not have even heard such. As it was, living in this post-apocalyptic world was doing wonders to sharpen his senses, and his head snapped up in seconds to see what it was. There, at the stairs just outside the kitchen, leading up to the second floor. Another young woman, not much older than Chihiro.

If the little sister was pale, this girl was positively bloodless, skin so white it was like marble. She had long black hair in a hime-cut, not unlike how Saeko wore it, and a pair of startling red eyes. Possibly an albino. She wore a long purple shirt that looked few sizes too big for her slight frame, and a red pair of workout shorts that clung to her hips and thighs, leaving her long, pale legs bare. Her feet were likewise uncovered. A red ribbon, like a splash of blood, tied back her long hair.

"I, uhm, I'm sorry I... don't mean to interrupt..."

Chihiro was on his feet in moments, making his way to the pale girl's side and taking her hands in his.

"You... is everything alright?" he asked, swiftly changing topics.

"I think so. I didn't see anyone else outside."

 _That explains_ , thought Takashi. She must've been watching from an upstairs window. Probably spotted Saeko and myself and let Chihiro know so he could watch the gate.

As if suddenly aware of their guests, Chihiro started and turned back to them, shifting his body subtly so he shielded the pale girl behind him. The movement didn't go unnoticed, though Takashi said nothing.

"Oh, this is Rea. She's a... a friend staying with us," Chihiro explained quickly.

Takashi frowned, suddenly alert. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the mood in the room had suddenly changed. Chihiro's entire body had gone tense, and his voice was strained, as if he was reciting a line he'd rehearsed in his head. He suddenly seemed afraid, and this boy had barely batted an eye at the zombie hordes surrounding his family's shrine. Let alone two strangers armed with a shotgun and a bokken getting inside.

Something very strange was going on at this shrine.

* * *

With so few rooms in the house to actually use, Takashi had offered to sleep on the floor in the kitchen if it meant giving up a bed for Saeko. As it turned out, with Rea already using Chihiro's room and bed, and the master bedroom filled with a number of survival supplies, space was already at a premium. They solved this conundrum by letting Saeko sleep on the floor of Chihiro's bedroom with sheets and pillows from the master bedroom, while Rea took the bed already there. Mero had her own room of course. And the men had moved to the shrine. The floor was wooden and uncomfortable, but it was better than nothing.

Takashi suspected this was at least partly to ensure he and Saeko were separated during the night. He did not want her out of his sight, but the truth of the matter was they owed these people their lives, and it was a sensible precaution, since they were being allowed to keep their weapons. This way, everyone was safe, and no one would try anything during the night.

Even so, he told Saeko in no uncertain terms to not hold back if she was in danger, and that he'd be at her side as soon as he felt such was the case.

"You've been lucky," Takashi remarked, laying out a futon in the shrine and smoothing out the corners with Chihiro's aid.

The cat-faced boy glanced up at him. "How so?"

"Your shrine here is isolated... and it's on a hill. It's almost like the people who built this place were expecting trouble. And you've been able to figure out how to drive off the undead."

"I guess we _have_ been lucky," Chihiro admitted. "But so've you and Saeko-san. Travelling has got to be a major pain right about now."

"We figured out their weak points pretty quick..." Takashi replied. "And a friend of ours she... she realized early on they were only attracted to sound. We didn't realize they still had smell too. How did you figure it out?"

His eyes shifted sideways. Takashi was beginning to suspect he did that when he didn't want to be forthcoming about something. "We uh... experimented," Chihiro said. "Found one zombie that we could... uh... test it on. Worked pretty well."

And again, there was that word.

Takashi grimaced but said nothing, not like he could protest it. It did seem accurate enough. Yet part of his mind still rebelled against the idea. This was reality, after all. Zombies were creatures of fantasy and make-believe. Science fiction B movies and bad manga. Video games and anime series. Not real. Not flesh and blood like him and the boy lying down across from him. His conscious mind was not yet ready to make the leap, not when it could grasp at the possibility of a more rational explanation.

"Well, whatever else, we're grateful you let us stay here," Takashi said, brushing a hand through his dark locks awkwardly. "Thanks."

The other boy blinked at him stupidly for a minute, as if unsure of why he'd bother to express his thanks, then offered his hand. Takashi took it and shook firmly. "No problem. I mean, sure we didn't want to let you in if you were dangerous but... who wouldn't take in someone in need? We're not monsters." They shared a smile at that, both equally grateful to find some measure of humanity left in the other. In a world gone to Hell, it was a much needed comfort.

The tender moment was interrupted, however by a sound carried by the wind. It was very faint, but the moan was impossible to miss. The exhale of air from a set of rotted lungs. A very distinctly pitched moan. More of Them. They couldn't have been close, but they might have been just outside the fences of the shrine.

Nearby.

Listening.

"... not yet, at any rate," Chihiro clarified in a low whisper, with an ominous look.

A shiver descended down his spine as Takashi took off his jacket, laying it over his covers to add to his warmth, and crawled under them with his weapon at hand. Takashi cradled his shotgun close against his side (mindful to keep the barrel pointed away from everyone) and tried to sleep. It wasn't easy, even with his body screaming that it was tired, because his mind remained active. But eventually, his thoughts had run round and round in circles enough that even they were worn out, and gradually, he began to drift off to the realm of sleep.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:  
** The black pepper and hydrangea mixture driving off zombies is not something out of the manga, but a wholly original concept I came up with to manage some plot elements. It makes sense Chihiro, like Saya, would have experimented to find ways to combat and deal with the regular zombies (which are markedly different than Rea's condition) and unlike her, has no pre-existing reason to doubt their existence or status.


	2. Night

Saeko felt uneasy as she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

Sleeping in an unfamiliar room was bad enough, and she'd insisted upon a quick check to ensure it was safe. Securing the glass windows, closing the drapes, and making a check of the closet. Some might have questioned her actions as paranoid, but in the past few days, the word might quickly be falling out in favor of being part of the 'still alive' defense instead.

But the windows were high off the ground and adequately locked, the drapes prevented anyone from seeing them inside, and the closet was empty save for the usual collection of linens and a few collectables that evidently hadn't found homes yet in the assorted clutter of the room. Amongst them, however, Saeko found an unusual item, drawing it out to examine in the pale light of the candle resting on the night stand. The only illumination in the room.

"What is this?" she inquired, lifting it up.

"Oh that's Chihiro's," Rea replied. "Er I mean, Furuya-kun's. He said he found it shortly after the outbreak started in the shrine."

Slowly easing the blade out of the sheath, Saeko's eyes widened in recognition. "This is an extremely rare sword..." she said.

"It is?"

"What I hold in my hands is a Murata blade," the Busujima swordswoman explained. "Kissaki Moroha-Zuruki-style... double-edged... nihonto katana... forged in the Tokyo Armories by General Murata during the Meiji Era."

Rea watched in awe as Saeko rattled off the sword's characteristics by heart, knowing them intimately. She was an amazing person, Rea decided. She held all the grace and elegance of a high-born noble's daughter, yet she was also strong as steel underneath her silk. She spoke of combat and killing with an ease Rea could never hope to match. Like a flightless dove forever watching an eagle soar overhead.

The taller girl slid the sword back into its sheath and set it back on its stand. "A most impressive blade. Furuya-san will find it a suitable weapon, provided he cares for it."

"I don't think Furuya-kun knows how to fight," Rea lamented. "None of us really do. We've gotten lucky avoiding the zombies and staying hidden in here."

"The day may yet come you will have to fight," Saeko said slowly, taking in the measure of Rea. A slight girl, pale looking and very thin, but she seemed to have a quiet sort of strength to her that was not evident at first glance. "The lives of you and the others here may depend on it."

"I guess..."

Rea pondered Saeko's words as the other girl loosened her skirt and adjusted her top. Not quite removing them to sleep in the nude, she intended to make it easier for her body to breathe as she lay down to rest. She might have slept better in the company of someone she trusted like Takashi, but for now she felt moderately safe.

"Do you _really_ kill them with just a _wooden_ sword?" Rea asked, her head tilted just so, red eyes grazing over the surface of the wooden blade.

"Indeed," Saeko replied, sitting upright in her bedsheets. "I find the weapon to be most effective in dealing a single, swift strike to the skull, which is apparently the weak point of these... things."

Rea's hands lifted up, rubbing against her head. "Chihiro always said zombies were supposed to be vulnerable to head attacks, but I never thought anyone could really kill them with just a sword. And a wooden one at that. I mean, I did see this one movie once where they used a baseball bat..."

She didn't mean for her attention to wander, but Saeko was finding it more and more difficult to stay focussed as the weight of the day seemed to settled on her eyelids, slowly dragging them closed. Her attention was likewise scattered, flickering over the various memorabilia scattered across the room. It seemed Rea, or rather Chihiro, had an intense interest in the walking dead. This was readily evident to Saeko from the decorations of his room. Zombie movies. Zombie posters. Zombie toys. The boy had a rather healthy interest in the undead, and it seemed he'd passed them along to his... girlfriend? Saeko spared a long glance at Rea as she sat in the bed, wondering just what her relationship was with Chihiro. They seemed very close, yet had displayed no gestures of affection during dinner. Perhaps they were newly acquainted and only recently learning of their feelings for one another.

Just like...

Saeko grimaced, feeling her temples throb, and her whole body ached as she remembered again just how tired she was. She held up a hand politely.

"-and so she said... ara?" Rea said, blinking in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I'm very tired," Saeko said. "Perhaps we can talk of it in the morning."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rea said. She lay back down, head against the pillow. Her eyes seemed to almost glow in the darkness, an ominous red light that Saeko found downright creepy. "I'll be quiet now."

"Please don't misunderstand, I'm enjoying our talk," Saeko said politely. "But I am very, very tired. I need to sleep."

"I understand," Rea said. "Get some rest. We can talk at breakfast."

Saeko nodded, lay her head back down, and tried to close her eyes. Every time she did so, however, her instincts screamed at her. She was in danger, they kept saying. And so her eyes inevitably snapped back open, searching the room, watching every shifting shadow, every dark corner, watching for some sign of attack. But they were alone, just Rea and Saeko. And the girl couldn't have been threatening, she looked like she had been or was still ill.

 _This was absurd_ , Saeko thought. She hadn't been afraid of the dark since she'd been five. Which was about the same age her father had started to teach her how to swing a bokken.

 _I'm not afraid_ , Saeko thought. _Not of the dark. Not of shadows. Not of imaginary monsters lurking in them. And certainly not of a girl one year my junior whom I could break with one hand behind my back_. Besides, Rea is a nice girl. She seems genuinely sweet, incapable of malice. In the brief time they'd known one another, Saeko would say she could guess Rea was harmless.

But still... something was very... _very_... off about her.

* * *

Takashi didn't sleep well that night. Try though he might, he kept finding himself awake every few hours or so. It wasn't anything external he could see, hear, or be aware of. Doon and Chihiro slept like the dead, perfectly quiet, and there was nothing coming from outside by the faint shifting of the leaves in the trees. Nothing to alarm him. Even so, Takashi spent most of the night staring up at the ceiling, content at least his body was resting even as his mind continued to remain in the fugue between sleep and wakefullness. The light of the only lantern in the room played tricks on the ceiling. He couldn't tell where the shadows ended and the walls began, and as his mind drifted in and out of consciousness, it filled the shadows with all manner of frightening shapes and faces. Filled with snarling white teeth and unholy glowing eyes...

Suddenly, a shrill scream cut through the air, and Takashi bolted upright. The sound was unmistakable.

"Saeko!"

He was on his feet in an instant, even as he heard Chihiro scrambling after him. He grabbed the shotgun and bolted out of the shrine, down the path to the house, and up the stairs, not even slowing down as he tripped over the bottom step, nearly dropping his weapon.

At last he made it to the top floor and yanked open the door to the room where Saeko was staying.

He saw the dark-haired swordswoman sprawled out on the ground, desperately fending off her attacker. The pale girl, Rea, was pawing at her shoulders and giving a breathless moan as she pawed at the air, trying to reach Saeko. The tip of a sword erupted out the back of her abdomen, having pierced her stomach, but the angle was all wrong to draw it back out, and Saeko couldn't keep her snapping teeth away and recover her weapon.

Takashi was about to open fire and end the threat against his friend, but realized he might hit Saeko in the process. So instead he smacked the butt of his shotgun against the zombie girl's shoulder, throwing her off of Saeko and pushing her back towards the bed. Saeko rolled along the floor out of the way as Takashi took aim.

"No!"

A body launched itself as Takashi's arms and yanked them skyward just as he pulled the trigger. The shot went wild, blowing a hole in the far wall. A poster for "Return of the Living Dead III" was utterly annihilated, and Takashi winced as chunks of debris came raining down, nearly blinding him. Takashi took aim again, and Chihiro moved swiftly, throwing himself in the path of the shot, arms outstretched to protect the pale girl behind him.

"Get out of the way!"

"No! Let me explain!"

"MOVE! Or I'll shoot right through you!" Takashi threatened, cocking the shotgun and taking aim. The cat-haired boy didn't flinch as the barrel pressed against his forehead, but Takashi's hands trembled. He'd never taken a life before, not like this. Even that dumb bastard back at the gas station he'd only maimed and let the zombies take. Could he do it? Could he pull the trigger?

"Takashi wait!" implored Saeko, wrapping her arm around his, gently guiding the barrel of his weapon down, aiming it away from the other boy. "Look..."

Hesitant though he was to take his eyes off of the boy, Takashi did as he was bade, looking in the direction of Saeko's trembling finger. She was pointed at the other girl, at Rea Sanka. Even as he watched, he saw a measure of life flicker within her red eyes, a look of intelligence. She'd ceased moaning and snapping her teeth and had the calm, thoughtful expression she'd been wearing before. If Takashi didn't know any better, he'd swear she was back to life.

"What's going on here?!" he demanded, his voice a harsh whisper.

"I promise I'll explain," Chihiro said, arms still upraised. "Just... let's go downstairs. Let's talk in the kitchen, okay?"

"Uhm..."

All eyes turned to the pale zombie girl, who looked remarkably shy and uncertain about something. "Did... did you want your sword back?" she asked, resting a hand on the hilt.

Saeko felt the bile rise in her throat but struggled to keep it down and remain polite. "Ah, yes... please."

Gently grasping the hilt, Rea drew forth the sword from her gut, not even wincing as it slid out of her belly. She pressed a hand against the wound but barely even a dribble of blood spilled forth as she offered the weapon to Saeko blade-first. Her unfamiliarity with the weapon spoke volumes, but her expression wasn't even the least bit angry. Nor was Saeko's as she took the weapon back and cleaned it off with the hem of her uniform shirt.

"She... talks?" asked Takashi, his brain struggling to catch up. For a second there, it seemed Rea had been dead, now she seemed to be alive. Yet he'd seen Saeko's sword go clean through her.

"What are you?" Takashi asked, still holding his weapon up at the ready.

"... come downstairs, and I'll explain everything," Chihiro promised.

Takashi and Saeko shared a glance, and then he reluctantly lowered his weapon. But he did not relinquish his death grip on it.

"... okay."

* * *

Chihiro quickly did damage control, assuring his panicked sister and frightened father that everything was under control. Naturally, they'd both been woken by the gunshot. But since no one had been hurt, and Takashi looked ready to use it again if he didn't get answers, they didn't press the issue. Nor did Chihiro press the issue of Saeko keeping his Murata sword in hand, the live steel still unsheathed and ready to be used in an instants notice. Rea lit a lantern in the kitchen and she, the Furuya family, Saeko and Takashi gathered around the small table. Chihiro took a moment longer to ensure the walls were clear, but it seemed the sound had only attracted a miniscule number of undead, and none of them were able to batter down the walls. A bit of his blue powder and they were in retreat from the awful stench.

Now he only had to worry about the frayed tempers of their guests.

Both of them were glaring at him as he took a seat by Rea's side, doing his best to appear nonchallant about all of this. But Saeko and Takashi deserved answers after what had happened, and he intended to give them.

"I'll start at the beginning," he said. "I've always had this sort of... obsession with zombies..."

Again, they both flinched at the word, but he pressed on. His father and little sister remained quiet, letting Chihiro do the explaining.

"When our cat died I found this journal for an elixir that could revive him. It was missing an ingredient, but after a while I perserved and managed to figure out what it was. Can you believe it was hydrangea leaves?"

"Aren't those toxic?" Saeko inquired, some of her anger dissipating in light of her curiousity.

"To the living," Chihiro clarified. "But when mixed with the right ingredients they make for a reanimating agent. Babu was just the first... I didn't even realize it had worked until one day we just found him outside our window like he'd always been. But you have to believe me, I never wanted to try and bring back a human... even I thought that was a little insane."

Takashi's eyes flicked over to Rea, up until now silent, and she gave a start as she realized all attention had transferred to her. "Oh, uhm... that's where I come into the story, kinda," she explained. "I had some... issues at home that I wanted to get away from. Far away from. And I ran into Furuya-kun here while he was working on his potion. He was... strange... but... nice. So I stayed and asked to learn more. He showed me what he was doing, and I tried to help."

Chihiro nodded, placing his hand over hers, ignoring the cold of dead flesh as he squeezed her fingers. She could scarcely feel it, but he felt it just fine. "One day our work got interrupted," he explained. "The potion I was working on for Babu seemed like another dud, and I had to go home quickly. It was only later I realized the elixir I'd made had gone missing as well."

"I'd stolen it," Rea said contritely. "I thought it would be poisonous, like all the failures Furuya-kun had made before. I... I hoped it was actually."

 _Why on Earth would someone want a bottle of poison?_ Takashi wondered, seconds before his brain ran through the possibilities, and he realized exactly why she'd done it. His expression morphed of one of anger to one of horror. "You..."

She nodded. "My home life was... horrible," Rea explained. "I couldn't go on like that. I just couldn't. I... it hurt. Every... single... day."

Saeko felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl. Whatever her revulsion at what she'd become, in this she had nothing but sympathy. Takashi felt much the same way. Honestly, what else could you say to something like that? To someone whose life was so horrible they'd contemplated a terrible escape just to make the pain stop.

"I wanted to die... I'd like to think I was ready to die. But it didn't work like that. When I took the potion nothing happened," she explained. She laughed softly, before continuing on. "And then, quite by accident, I really did die. And I was reborn."

"As a... a zombie?"

Chihiro smirked. "Using the Z word now?"

Takashi just glared at him.

"Hai, as a zombie," said Rea. "I know it's weird... and... sometimes it's scary too. It was before, when I was the only one... then all the others came... and now I don't even know anymore. All I know is... when I'm with Furuy-... with Chihiro-kun... I'm happy. So I'll do anything to stay with him."

"So you have all of your... faculties... intact?" Takashi asked, gesturing vaguely at his head.

Rea had the good grace to look annoyed at the implication. "Yes," she replied sternly.

"Then why did you attack Busujima-san?" he demanded.

"Uhm..." that brought her anger quickly to an end, and replaced it with acute embarassment. Takashi watched with a puzzled expression as a blush spread across her ivory cheeks. _How on earth can a zombie girl blush_? he wondered. "I'm sorry about that but... well..."

Chihiro came to her rescue. "The zombification method isn't perfect," he explained. "The potion can revive the dead to life but... they need to continue ingesting hydangea leaves. If they don't... they can... relapse."

Dawning realization struck Takashi right in the gut, leaving him breathless. In his mind's eye he could see Them. The ones that had attacked their high school. The ones who'd attacked him and Rei and Saya. Them. Like Hisashi had become. "You mean... real..." he swallowed. "Real _zombies_..."

The boy with the cat-like tuffs nodded his head solemnly. "And it gets worse... in time... they start to build up an immunuity. The leaves do less and less each time and they have... periods of time where the zombie instincts take over. Eventually... it'll completely consume their minds," he explained.

 _Meaning sooner or later... Rea would end up just like..._

A muffled ding interrupted them, making Takashi and Saeko both jump. Chihiro just calmly stood up to open up the microwave, reaching inside for the popcorn and preparing a pair of bowls, one for himself and another for anyone interested. Rea declined, lightly munching on a hydrangea leaf as Chihiro looked back at them from the counter, tossing the now empty popcorn bag into the garbage.

"So now you can see why we can't come with you," Chihiro said, his tone deadly serious.

Takashi did understand, sharing a glance with Saeko to see the same understanding reflected in her crystal blue eyes. "You're worried Rea would be dissected."

"Or worse."

"So you're just going to stay here?" inquired Saeko.

"What else can we do?" Rea replied. "I want to be with Chihiro-kun. I don't care if I'm alive, or dead, or any of it. I just want to be with him. Nothing else matters."

"And I... I feel the same," Chihiro said slowly, his cheeks warm as he stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Takashi plucked one out of his bowl and munched on it. Saeko politely declined with a raised hand.

"Wait a minute, if Rea's a zombie... does that mean she's... she was...?"

"No," Chihiro said. "She's never bitten anyone. We've had some close scares but... she's not the patient zero here, if that's what you're thinking. Far as I can tell there's something completely different about the zombies out there... and the zombie in here."

Flimsy evidence, but Takashi had to agree. Even when she'd been attacking Saeko, Rea hadn't acted like Them. She was different, no doubts there. That didn't make it any easier to stomach what she was, or what had to come next.

"So what happens now?" asked Takashi.

Silence descended upon the kitchen as the six of them exchanged uneven glances, trying to gauge the other's thoughts. No one, it seemed, was quite willing to voice them aloud. The awkwardness was positively palpable until Chihiro finally spoke up.

"Much as I want you gone, it's still too dangerous," Chihiro said reluctantly. "Too many zo-... too many of _Them_ outside," he corrected himself. "When dawn comes though... we'll have to ask you to leave. And never come back."

Mero and Doon nodded in agreement with their brother/son's assessment of the situation.

"I don't think that'll be a problem," replied Takashi evenly, his tone neutral. "But I'm not leaving Saeko again. Not tonight."

"Then we'll have to make other arrangements."

* * *

In the end, Takashi and Saeko had been moved out to the shrine. Well removed from the house. Doon and Chihiro would be making do in the kitchen while Mero reclaimed her room and Rea slept in Chihiro's. Not an ideal or terribly comfortable situation, but it would have to do for the night. The Furuya's had taken back their covers and pillows, however, forcing Takashi and Saeko to fend for themselves on the much less comfortable wooden planks. They made do.

"Good night, Takashi," Saeko intoned, blowing out the candle and plunging the room into darkness. She rolled over with her back to him as Takashi flopped onto his back angrily, gazing up at the ceiling.

"Oh yeah, like I'm sleeping after this," Takashi muttered. "I don't think I'm ever sleeping again. _Ever_."

* * *

 **Authors Notes:  
** Naturally, a Night of the Living Dead III reference, due to the fact that it too had a zombified girlfriend in it. A classic. So horrible it loops back around to being hilarious. If disgusting.


	3. Dawn

Despite his protests, Takashi did manage to find himself a few hours that could, under a very generous definition, be called sleep. He still felt like hell in the morning, but at least he could function again with a reasonable degree of awareness, and his body was no longer screaming at him for rest. Now it was just a quiet sort of ache all over. Saeko, if she felt the same, did not show it. The most she showed was a few dark bags under her eyes, but on her even those looked good somehow. Like rouge applied by a make-up artist.

By contrast, it seemed Chihiro had slept reasonably well, or at least no worse than ever before, sporting the same bushy-tailed and bright-eyed look he had the night before. And Rea, well, now they knew the truth. She never slept. The rest of the Furuya's were still inside when Rea and Chihiro came to the shrine in the morning with some breakfast for their guests.

Little more than bowls of soup and some tepid water, but it was better than nothing, and they were most grateful.

"I did a quick check earlier," Chihiro explained as they wolfed down their meal. "Still quite a few of Them at the gates but the back hill is completely clear. If you follow the rise eastwards you should find yourself at a short wall you can easily climb over. That'll lead you to the canal, and from there you should be able to get to where you're going."

"We'll leave soon then," Takashi replied. "Soon as it's a bit more light out."

Though it was definitely dawn, the sky overhead was thick was heavy clouds, and could have meant a downpour was imminent. The sooner they got going the better, but until there was more light out Takashi didn't want to risk it. Last thing they needed was to stumble over something in the dark, break their ankles (or worse) and be left to the tender mercies of Them.

However, that didn't mean he intended to stay inside of that gloomy shrine a moment longer than necessary. Last night had changed everything. Not just the revelation that Rea was a kind of sentient zombie, but also what Saeko had told him shortly before they'd gone to bed. About how she'd frozen up with the children, and later against Rea. How she kept recalling a terrible incident in her past, before the dead had risen. And Takashi had tried to comfort her, and found himself unable to do so. Never had the strong Busujima swordswoman seemed so utterly... broken.

* * *

Takashi stepped out into the open courtyard of the home, stretching out his limbs and gazing up at the overcast skies. It was a welcome sight. No matter how horrible and restless the night had been, they'd made it through it. They'd survived another day in a world determined to end their existence. It gave him a distinct feeling of accomplishment. Indeed, as he gazed out at the open world, the view from the hill reasonably good in the growing light of the new day, it seemed as if things might just be alright.

Naturally, this was when Fate decided to remind him of just what sort of stakes had been raised.

A low, unearthly moan caught his ear, and Takashi's golden gaze flickered downwards to the shrine gates. One of the undead ghouls was battering against the gates to try and get in. Nothing terribly unusual, except he seemed to only be the first of many, and more were coming for as far as the eye could see, staggering down the roads and alleyways and headed towards the shrine. The wind began to pick up, tugging at hair and clothes and rustling through the leaves of the nearby trees, shaking them down to their branches.

Chihiro came sprinting out of the house, followed by the girls. "What happened?" he asked.

"No idea. Is the rustling leaves drawing them in?" Takashi mused aloud.

"Could be," Chihiro agreed.

"Well don't you have more of that... that powder you use?"

"I used up the last of last night," he replied. "I need time to make some more. Sanka-san, do you still have leaves up in my room?"

"I t-think I finished the last of it!" Rea exclaimed. The gates shuddered again, the force of so many bodies pressing against them making them groan in protest. "I'll go hold the gates!" she cried out, flinging herself down the steps and pressing hard against the wooden frame. It wouldn't hold forever, but it might slow Them down.

Her tactic confused Takashi, who didn't see how such a slim girl could possibly make any difference, but his protest died on his lips as Chihiro shook his head. "She can handle it," he said, offering no further explanation. Maybe They would try to attack Rea, recognizing her as one of them. That was as likely an explanation as any, Takashi thought.

"Mero, find some more black pepper, there should be some in the pantry," Chihiro instructed. Nodding, the pale girl vanished back into the house. Her older brother then turned back to Takashi. "I'll get some more hydrangea, can you hold them off for a bit if they break through?"

Takashi cocked his shotgun, making sure it was primed, and nodded. The cat-eyed boy was off seconds later.

"Saeko, get ready, we're..." he paused, glancing at the swordswoman, who seemed to be trembling. And not with excitement either. She was afraid. Terrified even. "Saeko?"

But his voice seemed to come from a million miles away. Saeko's mind was lost in her own terror. Her own memories.

"I... I can't do it..."

Recognizing her inner struggle, Takashi did the only sensible thing he could. Fully aware he was setting himself up for a well-earned slap, he stepped up behind Saeko and threw his arms around her, including grabbing a hold of her left bbrreast through her uniform top and squeezing tightly.

"S-stop!" she protested. "What're you doing?"

Shocking you out of your stupor, he thought. Hopefully the pain and embarrassment would help with that. Aloud, he said, "Don't even think for a minute you're quitting on me. We've come too far. We're not letting Them beat us. You're coming with me, because I need you. I don't care what you did before! I only care about what you do now!"

He held her tightly the whole time, mindful of the zombies still pounding at the gates down below, hoping, praying even, his words would get through to Saeko. Because if she had well and truly shut down, if she had lost her warrior's spirit, then he didn't see any way they could survive this. Finally, Saeko lifted a hand, placing it on Takashi's arm. The surprisingly gentle motion relaxed him. "Thank you," she intoned softly. "I'm okay now."

He let go of her, his arms falling to his sides as he watched her stride forward, unafraid. His words had not been in vain. He'd gotten through to her.

And the timing could not have been better. For despite her best efforts to hold the gate, the sheer number of bodies pressing against it had caused the barricade to start to crumble. The wood splintered and broke as gray, grasping hands filled the gaps. Rea was forced to retreat back up the steps of the shrine, peering down them in downright terror as one of the gates came crashing down, and a flood of undead monsters came pouring in.

"There's too many!" Rea said.

Saeko reached out a hand, laying it lightly on Rea's shoulder. "Do not be afraid, battle sister. I got this."

Smoothly sliding into a ready stance and holding up the sheathed sword in hand, Saeko charged forward, lashing out with the blade in a perfect battoujutsu move, carving through dead flesh like a hot knife through better. With a twirl on her heel she was in motion, sliding the tip of the katana through another zombie's mouth and into its brain. The sharp tip erupted out the back of its head, splattering congealed blood everywhere. Now that she was back in combat, she was totally in her element, hacking and slashing with a savage joy. But that did not mean she was letting her bloodlust get the better of her. Saeko fought intelligently, using the terrain to her advantage, tripping up the clumsier zombies on the stairs before they reached her, bottlenecking them before they could come close and dancing away whenever she was in danger of being overwhelmed.

Unsure of what she was supposed to do, Rea watched the battle with her hands clasped in front of her chest, watching for some way she could make herself useful. But with no weapon and no skill with fighting, she wasn't sure how she could. Takashi was likewise staying back while Saeko tore through the undead ranks with astonishing skill and grace, her sword flicking through the air almost faster than her eyes could follow. It was an enticing, almost beautiful display, were it not punctuated every so often by the dead bodies hitting the ground and blood splattering everywhere. Rea lifted a hand to her lips, positive that if she still had a working stomach, she would feel quick sick by now.

So entranced was she by the morbid display she failed to notice another zombie staggering up the stairs until it was almost right on top of her. She turned around and gave a shriek as it came at her, stepping backwards to try and get away and immediately tripping over the garden rake Chihiro had left out the previous night. Rea stumbled flat onto her butt, backing up as the zombie continued to crawl towards her. If she'd been paying close attention, she might have noticed they were trying to make their way _past_ her towards the still living defenders, evidently finding her unappealing as a meal. Likely due to her already being dead. But Rea was well past simple panic now, and had gone into full on terrified. She staggered backwards on all fours as the zombies continued to approach.

"S-stay a-aw-... stay... STAY AWAY!" she screamed, grasping at the fallen rake and swinging it with all of her might.

Such was the force of her blow that it tore the zombie's head clean off its shoulders, sending the rotted head crashing down nearby while the body collapsed bonelessly on the ground. The zombie girl wasted no time in reclaiming her feet and swinging the makeshift weapon at any zombie that happened to get too close to her, screaming hysterically the entire while.

"KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"

Chihiro came sprinting out of the house holding a jar with more zombie repellant, but slowed before coming to a halt beside Takashi, eyes wide at the carnage on the stairs. Congealed blood was splattered everywhere by the combined efforts of the two girls, who continued to cheerfully, even gleefully, smash through the rotted remains of the zombies invaders one after another. They were almost running out of targets, even allowing for the fact that more and more were being drawn to the sounds of the fight from far away, lured like moths to the flame.

"Uh... what did I miss?" he asked, sliding up alongside Takashi and checking out the view.

"Oh uh... not much," Takashi replied, his voice somewhat strained. Even given the weird days he'd been having, this was easily the weirdest. A fact driven home as one of the bigger zombies, a heavyset man with a huge chunk of his shoulder torn out, slipped past Saeko's slashing blade and tried to overbear Rea. She easily lifted him up... right over her head... and threw him down the stairs, sending him crashing into a quartet of gray-faced zombies and smashing them all into the ground far below. He must've weighed twice what she did, yet she'd thrown him like a basketball.

"How on earth can she do that?" Takashi asked, confused and stunned by the displays of raw strength.

"A human's strength is regulated by the brain subconsciously protecting the body from over-exerting itself," Chihiro replied automatically, not taking his eyes off of the carnage. He seemed less speaking and more reciting from memory. "Since she is no longer properly alive, Sanka-san has no such limited on her body, allowing her to demonstrate impressive feats of physical strength at the risk of further damaging her body."

Idly Takashi glanced at the piles of corpses around Rea's feet, and wondered just how much damage they were feeling from her attack. Chihiro's explanation made sense though. That had been the same problem that got Hisashi bit, underestimating the dead. They kept coming with no regards to their own well-being, and so were capable of great displays of strength.

"Uhm... should we help them?" asked Takashi, holding his shotgun loosely, pointed downwards. He was pretty sure if they tried to get involved now, he'd only end up getting in the way.

Chihiro seemed of a like mind, setting aside his blue powder on the steps of the shrine and heading inside. He emerged moments later with a bowl of popcorn and plopped himself down at the top of the stairs, munching idly on the popped kernels and staring ahead as if watching a movie of the week.

Moments later, Takashi joined him, slipping a hand into the bowl to claim a bit of popcorn for himself.

* * *

In the end, the fight was long and devastating, but not a single zombie was left 'alive' within nearly a half mile of the Furuya shrine once Saeko and Rea had dealt with them. Chihiro had finally spread out a generous amount of the blue powder and he and Takashi and had made use of some ceremonial fans to blow it up and down the streets, filling the air with the pungent odor and driving away the zombie hordes to a safer distance. They would be looking for easier prey now, and the shrine was saved.

By now, however, dawn had come, the sky was lightening (though it still looked like rain) and it was high time for the Fujimi High survivors to be on their way.

"We're sorry you can't come with us," Takashi said politely. "But, we understand. And hope things continue to work out for you."

He offered his hand, and Chihiro enclosed both of his around Takashi's, giving him a firm shake as he nodded in agreement. However, Takashi felt something cool press against the inside of his palm, and when Chihiro had withdrawn his hands, he saw something had been left behind. A small vial of some sort. A vial containing a thick, viscous fluid of a curious amethyst color. It didn't take a genius to guess what it was.

"I... well... just in case, right?"

Eyeing the vial hesitantly, Takashi again glanced over at Saeko and Rea, comparing the two girls. And what he knew about himself. Saeko would want to keep living... and he would want her to keep living too. He took the vial and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "And hey? Be careful, okay?"

"You too," replied Chihiro, holding up his hand, fingers closed in a fist. Takashi pounded it with his own.

They were quickly joined by the two girls, who had also finished saying their good-byes. And it seemed, also found a common bond they hadn't expected to find. Takashi even noted with some amusement that Rea had also tried to pin one of the hydrangea flowers on Saeko's uniform top, but it simply wasn't working. Probably for the best, considering the plant was poisonous.

"I suppose I should return this," Saeko said, sheathing the katana and offering it to Chihiro in both hands. He gently waved her off.

"Nah, keep it. You obviously know how to use it way better than we ever will."

"Oh, but... I can't..." she said, again trying to offer it.

Rea's hands, cold and pale, gently closed over Saeko's. "Please, keep it. We've seen how good you are with the sword, Busujima-sempai. And we want to be sure you have the best possible chance of surviving out there as we do in here."

A chance that seemed less slim than strolling outside naked and hollering at the top of their lungs, Takashi mused. But a chance all the same. Saeko seemed of a like mind, for she accepted the blade with a solemn bow of her head, sheathing it and expertly hanging the sheath at her side. She would have to look into finding or making a belt to attach it to once they reached Takagi Manor. And speaking of which, Takashi decided it was high time they were on their way.

"Ready to go, m'lady?" he asked with an only half-mockingly gallant tone.

Saeko immediately played along, dipped her head demurely as she slipped her free arm through his. "At once, my lord Takashi."

He snickered at the term, and the two of them made their way down the stairs of the shrine and out the gates, pushing them shut and allowing them to be latched again from the inside before circling around the hill and following Chihiro's directions towards the canal. It was a bit more roundabout than they'd hoped, but it would get them back to the Takagi Manor and their friends. Even a single night had seemed like an eternity separated from the likes of Rei, Kohta, and Shizuka.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Rea asked, looking out from the top of the hill. In the distance, she could just barely see the outline of the two living survivors amidst the stumbling forms of other zombies. Monsters like her.

"I sure hope so," Chihiro said.

Gently, he took Rea's hand, and leaned against her, the two of them sitting on the porch of the Furuya Shrine. Like Saeko and Takashi, they leaned on one another for support through the dark times, and came through it stronger.

* * *

Nearing the canal, Takashi cast back one final glance towards the Furuya shrine. He thought he could barely make out the sight of two figures standing at the top of the stairs, watching them go. He lifted up a hand, unsure if he should wave to them, then reluctantly lowered instead.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Saeko asked, glancing back. The shrine was growing more distant, and by the time they'd reach the Takagi estate, it would be long gone from sight.

"I sure hope so," said Takashi, ruffling his hair. They had a long way to go, but really, he'd put good odds on them surviving this.

Gently, he took Saeko's hand, and leaned against her, the two of them walking down the long road leading to the Takagi Mansion. Like Rea and Chihiro, they leaned on one another for support through the dark times, and came through it stronger.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:  
** Happy All Hallows Eve. Please review and favorite if you enjoyed.


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